In the past, various games (software and the like) have been developed that are executed on an industrial use or home use game device. Of these, games that are collectively called music games (includes dance games and the like) are very popular and are supported by players of a wide range of ages.
Music games are a type of game in which the player competes for a high score by performing operations in good timing according to the tempo, scale, or the like of music that is played.
To explain this in more detail using an example, an image (hereafter, referred to as a “game image”) that indicates a game status is displayed on a monitor screen, and the game image expresses the state of target objects that move in a plurality of moving lanes according to music that is played (played back). More specifically, a different target object appears in each of the moving lanes, and the target object, in step with the music, moves over the moving lane from a starting point to an ending point. These target objects correspond to buttons on a controller (including a game mat and the like) that is operated by a player, and instruct the player to press the corresponding buttons. A decision area is provided that crosses each of the moving lanes, and straight lines or objects having the same shape as the target objects are displayed in the decision area.
At the timing when the target object moving in the moving lane overlaps the straight line or the object inside the decision area, the player obtains a point(s) by pressing the button that corresponds to that target object.
In other words, the player is required to perform the operation of pressing corresponding buttons in good timing while watching and following the target objects that move in step with the music.
As an example of this kind of music game, inventions of game devices that are capable of changing the degree of difficulty according to a game status of a player have been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 3,579,042 (pages. 7 to 15, FIG. 4).